How to setup a home entertainment system for a movie marathon

Ah, the Den – the perfect place for lions and lionesses to relax after a long day of work. And nothing completes a good Den like a proper home entertainment system.

You might have heard people calling it Man-caves recently, but that’s frankly just sexist, and implies that women don’t enjoy watching shows comfortably at home. I mean, come on, do you think “Netflix and chill” would work if they didn’t?

Here’s what you need to setup a basic system in your living room (for starters till you get rich enough to buy huge mansion with a media room and more expensive equipment).

Choose the right TV

The first step is obviously to find something to view your media on. All you have to do is choose from five of the best 4K TVs to buy, splash some cash, and you’re all set. Of course, you can also shop around on your own, you stubborn person, you.

Our options all assured of tip-top image quality and comprehensive smart functions, so it’s just a matter of suiting your budget. To understand your choices better, you can also refer to our Stuff UHD TV Buying Guide, and decide options such as a curved screen.

If you’re worried about getting something too big/small, a 55in TV needs about 2-4m of viewing distance for optimal effect, which suits most households nowadays.

Buy the right soundbar

As we mentioned in our article on 5 of the best soundbars you can buy, you don’t want to rely on just your TV’s built-in speakers. That’s because they’re mostly unimpressive, and don’t do their great image quality justice in terms of the viewing experience.

The simplest way to beat this is to get a great soundbar, and our article above also helpfully lists everything according to budget. After that it’s a simple matter of connecting it to your TV for awesome sound all around. Regular cables are fine, but the best would be to use an optical cable to eliminate any chance of lag.

Get a games console

Another thing you’d want to enjoy on your shiny new 4K TV would be the great graphics and gameplay on today’s next-gen consoles.

Right now, it’s a two-horse race between the Sony Playstation 4 and Xbox One, with Sony’s console leading global sales by a wide margin. It’s also more compact, but the main driver of which console you choose should lie in the games available, so you should take a look and see what strikes your fancy.

The Xbox One also has the potential to be better integrated with Windows 10, so keep that in mind as well. Otherwise, the Sony Playstation 4 is the clear choice here.

You’ll also be able to use the console to play your old DVDs and Blu-Rays as an added bonus. Remember to connect it to your soundbar too.

With the world’s most extensive streaming service now available in Malaysia, there’s no reason not to get it, or at least try it out first. Plus, you can get more than what’s available in Malaysia just by using a few of our tips.

That’ll ensure you have a steady stream (no pun intended) of content to enjoy on your new entertainment setup, with some even coming in 4K resolution to show off on your 4K TV.